Catholic faithful and pro-life advocates from across the state will gather in St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral on Sept. 26 for the first statewide Mass for Life ahead of the NJ March for Life in Trenton. Thousands are expected to convene in the state’s capitol to pray at Mass, hear speeches at a rally, and offer peaceful witness to the sanctity of unborn life while they march along a one-mile trek through the city.

Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney, the leader of the Diocese of Paterson, will be among the concelebrating priests at the Mass and is scheduled to lead the opening prayer at the rally. Many of the faithful of the Diocese of Paterson will be in Trenton for this historic event.

Celebrants of the Mass, which will begin at 9:30 a.m., will include 12 bishops and scores of priests from the Archdiocese of Newark and the Dioceses of Trenton, Camden, Paterson, and Metuchen. Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., of Newark will serve as principal celebrant and Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., of Trenton as homilist. The Diocese of Trenton will livestream the Mass in both English and Spanish on youtube.com/trentondiocese.

New Jersey joins 14 other states that have held or plan to hold large-scale Marches for Life since the Supreme Court overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022. In previous years, the Mass for Life and Rally/March at the New Jersey State House was held near the Jan. 22 anniversary of Roe v. Wade. With a move to September and a wider invitation to all New Jersey pro-life advocates as well as Catholic parishes and schools across the state, organizers expect a much larger turnout.

The Rally for Life kicks off at 11 a.m. at the State House Annex, less than half a mile from the Cathedral, 125 W. State Street. Bishop Sweeney will lead the Rally opening prayer, and students of St. Ann School, Lawrenceville, will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. The March for Life will follow at noon; students from Lawrenceville’s Notre Dame High School will lead the procession with a March for Life banner.

Rally speakers will include a variety of notable pro-life advocates, including a woman who survived a saline abortion, medical personnel, pregnancy resource center leaders, representatives from the New Jersey Senate and Assembly, national and state Right to Life groups, and more. A full speaker list is available at https://marchforlife.org/newjersey/.

IF YOU PLAN TO GO:

• Updates and complete information: https://dioceseoftrenton.org/nj-march-for-life and https://marchforlife.org/newjersey/.

• Arrive early for the Mass (8:45 a.m.) to assure parking and seating are available.

• Public parking garages near the Cathedral are available for passenger cars for a fee; visit https://www.trenton-downtown.com/about/services#parking for more information. No public parking will be available in the Cathedral lot, as these spaces will be reserved for clergy and those assisting with the liturgy.

This article was originally published on Trenton Monitor.